Our Commitment - To the Bible

The = Bible – The Reality of God Captured in Human Words and Written Down

Our unique commitment as a testimony of a local church is to God Himself – the Father, Son, and Spirit. Another aspect of our commitment t= o God is that we are also committed to the Bible. This is because the Bible is the r= eality of God. The Bible contains “The Word” Who is God Himself (John 1:1) and Christ, Who is God’s living Word (John 1:14, I John 1:1, Rev 19:13). The word in the Bible is also the = very breath of God (2 Tim. 3:16). = This means that within the words of the Bible is God as the Spirit or breath. The Lord Jesus said that His words= are spirit and life (John 6:63). =

The Bible, as the reality of God, has been capt= ured in human words and written down. God is mysterious, hidden, and invisible dwelling in unapproachable light (I Tim. 6:16). But as t= he written word, God is solid, substantial, and tangible (Matt. 13:31).

Thro= ugh the Bible We Can Contact God Himself

Since the essence of the Bible is God Himself, whenever we come to the Bible “in Spirit” and not “in letter” (2 Cor. 3:6), we sense that we are coming to God Himself (John 5:39). Through the Bible, God imparts Himself to us as light (I John 1:7, P= s. 119:105, 130); as life (John 1:4, 6:63, Ps.119:50); and as love (I John 4:1= 6, I John 2:5). Through the Bible,= we also receive God’s judgment (Heb. 4:12); His sanctifying (John 17:17, Eph. 5:26); and His faith (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 10:17, Gal. 3:2). The words in the Bible can become = our joy (Jer. 15:16). = &nb= sp; =

R= 20;Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Col. 3:16)=

The Lord as the Word wants to dwell in us ̵= 1; to make home, have room, and find a place in us. He wants to speak to us through His Word. His Word is living and = operative (Heb. 4:12) and will never return to Him in vain (Isaiah 55:11). We can let the Lord’s word d= well in us by simply being open and available to take His Word and allow Him to speak to us.

R= 20;…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…R= 21; (John 14:23)

If we love the Lord, we will keep His word. The word “keep” implie= s to guard, to watch, to observe attentively, and to keep the eyes fixed upon. It also implies to behold and consider. As we keep the Lord’s word in love, His word can cause a resonating in us to echo ba= ck to Him.

Comm= itted to the Bible

Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to = His word (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1, 2; Matt. 26:6-13). Through the Lord’s word, she received the revelation of the Lord’s death and grasped the opportuni= ty to pour out her best upon the Lord before He died. The Lord treasured what Mary did.<= o:p>

As the Lord’s church, when we are committ= ed to getting into the Bible, we become a community of people who encounter God and tend to walk in truth (3 John 3, 4; Phil. 2:15, 16; Rev 3:8; I Tim. 3:1= 5).